Wow, you have quite a driveway there, Kargiver. Cute picture.I'm attaching my little mockingbird-like fellow. He played hide and seek with me all day through the slats. Sooner or later I'll get a better pic of him, but for now -

What a great photo, tt! I had to look closely to see him, though, since he's so well camoflaged. He's fat - good thing, I guess, if he must live outside in the cold. I'd hope to be fat, too, if I were in his boat. :)

Pingo, had to laugh at the thought of you out there with a pneumatic chipper with the bird bath. Funny! And, I love your idea of using chx stock instead of milk for the white sauce. I'll give that a try. I don't have a lot of experience with sauces so I still essentially am beholden to whatever recipe I find unless I learn otherwise, thanks!

The driveway is about 1/2 mile long, I think - that's why it takes 2 or 3 hours for DH to plow it after every storm. It IS a winter wonderland! Here are a couple more photos. The patio (that I shoveled while DH was away) is still completely shoveled, but you can't see any of it - it's totally hemmed in by snow piles. The rocks on the bottom right make up the top right side of the steps up to the patio. (You know there's a LOT of snow if you need to explain simple landmarks like that!!)

This one is taken at the edge of the retaining wall along the driveway. Not sure where the wall ends and snow on the grass begins, but...

DH came home and told me the roads were fine. Only our driveway was a sheet of ice.

There is an easy rule of thumb for making gravy/sauce. "1 -1 - 1". 1 Tbs. butter and 1 Tbs. flour to 1 cup liquid. We like our gravy a bit thicker, so I use 1 and 1/2 Tbs. flour to 1 cup liquid. Your white sauce you made was a pizza sauce, and had to be thicker not to run off the pizza, so therefore 3 Tbs. flour. - Pingo

That's good, Pingo, he got home safe and sound. Careful on that driveway! Any salt/sand?

Ambergirl? Nov?

We got a bit of snow/ice overnight. Poor DH had to leave for a trip (local) at 5:15 so we've all been up since 4. Gracie got up, did her thing (presumably), and after a brief, "Where's my breakfast?" period, flopped down in front of the stove and fell fast asleep, probably to awake at her usual time.

Thanks for the sauce secret, Pingo! I'll be using that forever, now, it's so easy to remember.

I've got a hair appointment today - so excited. I'm shaggy; can't do a thing with it. That's the problem with short hair; it looks good a few weeks, then, suddenly, it's horrible.

Dear SIL has her "equal 'em out" surgery in March. Then, she wants to go to Boston with me to celebrate with lunch and a matinee show. I suggested Shear Madness, and she's game! I've only gone once, and it was 20 years ago, but it was soooooo funny and so much fun, and it still is getting 4.5/5 stars online. Anyone seen it lately? Of course, the whole cast is different since I went...

DH won't be home 'til 8 tonight. I should take Gracie's lead and take a nap this afternoon. I thought it was the middle of the night when the alarm went off!

Kar,I feel for you. Those early morning flights the boys take - does no good to me either. Getting up at 4 make me walk around in a daze. I can't always fall asleep after they leave. Besides DH get back home from the AP to get ready for the day. By 3 pm I am a disaster, but then it is time to think about dinner. I do try to nap, but does not always succeed. You know, when one is too tired to fall asleep.

Your lunch date with your SIL sounds great. Haven't seen Shear Madness, but heard so much good about it. Maybe I will try to "drag" DH with me one day. Or maybe wait until the boys are home and we can all go.

Good luck with your hair appointment. You will feel better. Somehow, I always imagined you with long hair - funny. - Pingo

I can't believe how long "Sheer Madness" has been playing - I have seen it twice, both many many years ago, in Boston. It's a funny show, I think more a ladies show, Pingo. That will be a nice outing for you and SIL, Kargiver. Love to go into town.

Got a light dusting of snow over my car which my "new best friend" had cleared completely. Before I went to bed and looked out, it was covered with a coating of sheer ice, and then this morning the dusting of snow. Unless I see some signs of a little melting, won't attempt to get out there today, that darned sloped driveway is treacherous. Think trash pickup will be today too, and I'm not even trying to get that to the curb. Besides, I'm still busy filling up trash bags with shredding!

Indeed, I'm in a daze, now...I should have gone back to bed, but the sun was creeping up and it was too late.

My hair was shoulder length for awhile for DH's sake who begged me to keep growing it out, but it was giving me headaches to pull it back every day so I finally cut it short last November. He survived. ;)

I'd say good morning, but it has certainly been less than that so far. The little snowmounds are all frozen and I tripped over one this morning. No fall, but tensed up my muscles none the less and am feeling it in my back. Then, I couldn;t get my car out of its spot. I was just spinning on the ice. Luckily my brothers were still nearby and they pushed and pushed and threw down sand and pushed and finally got me out and on my way! Took a good 20 mintues though to get out. Luckily, the rest of the roads were Ok and I made it here safely, but feel exhausted already. The day can only get better though, right?

Pingo and Kar - I don't fall back into a good sleep either when DH gets called out in the middle of the night. I was ready to hit the couch right after work last night, but he got called off and took me out to dinner. We still got to bed early, much to puppy's dismay - he still wanted to play.

Why do guys like long hair? Dh is the same way, but I like to keep it just above my shoulders. Makes it so much easier to deal with.

Good morning everyone. Stayed home yesterday but today is my first day with no restrictions so I won't be taking anymore snow days sadly. tt and Kar your arghans look great. I can not knit or crochet. I'm handy in the kitchen though :).

What a start of the day, November. Good you did't fall though. Our driveway is clear of snow, but icy. It is frozen "bumpy" though, so I should be able to get the car out of there. TG I don't have to walk on it. Good to hear the roads are fine. Hope you get back home safely - Pingo

Winter, I'm sure your future DH will agree that being "handy in the kitchen" is much more important than doing knitting or crocheting! I was just brought up on embroidery, knitting, plastic canvas, rug hooking, all that kind of stuff. It's enjoyable to me, to someone else it could be a chore. Glad to hear your restrictions are over - just be careful with all this hidden ice out there.

It sounds as tho you have on-street parking, Novembride. Lucky your brothers were still around to give you a hand.

I just threw then dragged trash to curb - rather, to snowbank. Missed the pickup last week, so didn't want another week's trash sitting in bulkhead. Changed Cheerio's litter box while I was down there, but that's sitting in bulkhead, too heavy with the other 4 bags to get out. It's doubled bagged, so should be alright.

Actually the air is OK. Not as biting cold as I thought it would be. Will go out around noonish and knock down more gigantic icicles hanging from back gutters. With warmer weather tomorrow don't want them drip drip dripping down into my cellar again.

Have my blinds drawn up in here in anticipation of a better shot of little grey guy. Had one side up yesterday too, but the little tease kept hopping to the other side of the tree, only visible through the slats of the shade.

Thank you for your concern on my commute home last night. I don't have a computer at home, so that is why you never hear from me after 5:00. My commute was actually fine thank God. This morning was another story. Waited forever for a bus and the traffic was terrible. Guess everyone is back to work!

Thank you all for your up-dates and insights. I truly just feel more calm when I KNOW everything is well in the CC world.

We had a bit of excitement/blessing yesterday.

Roundabout 1:30 in the afternoon, Honey was done with plowing, roof snow removal, ect. He ventured out to his favorite lumber yard to gather the stock he was going to need today. While in the warehouse, he commented about the noises the structure was making...the other folks in the room all concurred this dwelling was going down...Honey left as he had much to do, but we went back to the lumber yard at 3:30...sure enough...the whole storage warehouse was like an empty tube of toothpaste.

The guys bought his breakfast this a.m for his astute hearing. Funny, there are times he doesn't hear me!!!

Yeah! The sun came out. Good feeling. Maybe it will be able to melt some of the ice, if it stays long enough. Talked to TX son, they are still in a deep freeze. 22 degrees at 10 am with 16 overnight. With a wind chill factor it was 1 degree. Just unheard of down there. They are not prepared for that at all. DIL wears sandals all year round. I don't think she owns a pair of socks or pantyhose. No heavy boots, no heavy jackets etc. Last year it was cold too, but not this cold. So they bought a small green house to store all their outdoor plants during the winter. Last year they lost several. Since rain is scarce in the summer and they always have a water ban, most people keep their outdoor plants in containers. Different life.Speaking of pantyhose. Did anyone see this on the news yesterday? People fill their pantyhose up with icemelts and place them in their gutters. No icedams. Great idea! - Pingo

Wow, Icer! Thanks to Honey, a disaster was averted. So many people could have gotten hurt. I was planning a trip to Costco later today. Now, I think I rather not. The place is dangerous. Better stay out of those warehouse boxes for awhile. Thanks for the warning. - Pingo

Oh my goodness, Icer! Hooray for honey using his selective hearing wisely, and hooray to whom/whatever you believe in that he wasn't inthe building when it went down. How scary that building are just going down like that left and right?

I didn't hear about that pantyhose use, Pingo, but it makes sense and is a reasonable and affordable solution.

Honey is a little hard of hearing in my point of view but he does know what he is hearing...The company was very grateful to him.

It is kind of funny though, because I work at home....I guess I talk to myself, and the hawk outside ect...so when he is also home it goes a lot like this i say, " oh ya hawk you think I am feeding the birds for you..well guess again" and Honey says"What did you say dear?"

It is kind of funny though, because I work at home....I guess I talk to myself, and the hawk outside ect...so when he is also home it goes a lot like this i say, " oh ya hawk you think I am feeding the birds for you..well guess again" and Honey says"What did you say dear?"

Icer

That's cute, Icer. No hawk here for a few days, but that flicker is at the feeder again. Almost caught a pic of him a while ago, but I fiddled with the zoom lens too long.

Oh Icer, I missed the whole program. Son came over to show me how to use the printer, and just left. All I saw was the very beginning - darn it they didn't replay the end of yesterday's which was sooo good, I told you it was just like Pritzi's Honor. Oh well. Did they progress much beyond taking Cain to the morgue ?